Dr. Oz: The FLAB card, what’s in your wallet?

F-L-A-B

(Frustrated – Lonely – Anxious – Bored)

Yesterday on ‘The Dr. Oz Show’ the famed health guru and friend of Oprah asked TV land, “Are you addicted to food?”. “Why yes, yes I am”, I replied back emphatically. The focus of the show was on three women who thought, but he knew, they were addicted to food. After we watched their oh so familiar back story he gave us the warning signs of ‘Food Addiction’.

CONTINUE READING TO WATCH DR. OZ

His warning signs are:

You hide food in your car, home or office. When food becomes a secret, there is shame associated – a cornerstone of addiction.

You think about food more than 1 hour a day. Food addicts use food as a diversion. They turn to eating instead of dealing with their emotions in a healthy way.

You eat after arguing with your spouse or a friend. Again, in this situation, food becomes a drug used to become numb to painful emotions.

You experience withdrawal symptoms when you are not eating. Addicts experience visceral symptoms such as shaking, dizziness and sweating.

You can’t stop eating even when you’re not hungry.

Dr. Oz stresses that if you recognize 3 or more of these signs in your life, you may have a food addiction. Please remember, ONLY you can diagnose a food addiction. Only you. Addiction is a self diagnoses. That’s my two cents on the matter.

He goes on to give us FLAB! Frustrated – Lonely – Anxious – Bored. Now, the doctors acronym isn’t exaaaaaactly original. In the 12-step organization Alcoholics Anonymous, they have a little acronym of their own, HALT. Hungry – Angry – Lonely – Tired. The two are quite similar 🙂 Basically, HALT and FLAB are to be remembered every time you have a craving. It is suggested that the specific craving, at that moment, can be linked to one of the listed emotions. I’m bored… lets eat! Man I’m tired… I’m going to eat a bowl of cereal and go to bed. Nobody loves me…. pizza anyone? You get the idea.

I am a full supporter of recovery acronyms! When used they work. I still remember the one I learned in 7th grade math class.